It is not realistic to transfer the rates of mortality observed

These include, water temperature and water hardness as well as the presence of other food types in the gut. Temperature is likely to have an effect on both the rate of the chemical reactions and the activity of enzymes, such as sulfite oxidase, which break down sulfites in the body. We found no evidence that the presence of other food in the gut affected the toxicity of the cured eggs. However, we did not test the full range of foods that might be consumed by salmonids,Niltubacin nor did we look at whether prior consumption of alternative foods had any benefit. In summary, we showed that some commercially available cures killed juvenile salmonids in a laboratory setting. There appears to be a dose dependent effect that is not ameliorated by pre-soaking the eggs prior to feeding. Surprisingly, consumption of relatively few eggs was sufficient to cause mortality in some individuals. We have no data to suggest that this does, or does not, represent a problem at the population level. We would further caution that it is not realistic to transfer the rates of mortality observed in this study into the wild. We cannot rule out the possibility that the levels were exacerbated by stress associated with the experimental procedures, particularly with the oral administration studies. Regardless, we believe it is likely that a proportion of juvenile salmonids that consume eggs cured with sulfites will suffer mortality in the wild. Given that the most dominant fish in a population tend to monopolize food resources, it is reasonable to speculate that the more dominant fish could be more prone to mortality. Given the risk, we recommend that anglers take steps to minimize this risk. These may include the use of spawn sacs, using cures that do not contain sulfites, and/or avoiding discarding unused baits into the river. In addition,VE-821 because sodium sulfite was not commonly used in cures prior to 1980 and can likely be replaced by other mold inhibitors, such as borax, we suggest management agencies and manufacturers consider approaches that would minimize incidental take of wild juveniles salmonids when fishing with cured eggs.